68 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com With a smile as wide as the Cooper River, 82-year-old Clara Faye Fulton firmly held a sign saying she was the 500th patient at Trident Medical Center to have an innovative minimally invasive heart procedure. The implanted device will reduce her risk for stroke, one of South Carolina’s leading causes of death and disability. The procedure was performed by electrophysiologist Darren Sidney, M.D. He and Dr. Frank Cuoco at Charleston Heart Specialists lead one of South Carolina’s largest electrophysiology programs. The research the two physicians are conducting means their patients, who come from nearly every county in South Carolina to Trident Medical Center, are often the first in the nation to benefit from new technology. "We operate two full-time electrophysiology labs and are doing nearly 10 cases a day, that includes ablations, pacemakers and defibrillators," said Dr. Sidney. "It would not be possible without our excellent echocardiogram and radiology teams." Dr. Cuoco added, “The nurse practitioners, nurse navigators and other clinicians on Trident Medical Center’s heart team all have a ‘patient first’ mindset, and it shows in the national five-star quality and patient experience ratings we’ve earned.” Cardiologist Michael Craig, M.D., practiced at a large academic center for 20 years before joining Trident Medical Center. He specializes in a relatively new subspecialty called advanced heart failure. As the medical director of the Trident Heart Failure Clinic, he consults daily with heart specialists representing electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. “A lot of medical centers talk about their specialties, but I think it’s the whole team at Trident Medical Center that sets them apart,” said Dr. Craig, who grew up in Charleston. “You walk down the hall and everyone from our environmental services colleagues to the CEO smiles and asks how you’re doing. For a disease like the one I treat, which is a lifetime disease, everyone matters.” Recently, Healthgrades awarded both Trident Health hospitals, 321-bed Trident Medical Center and 124-bed Summerville Medical Center, its America’s 250 Best Hospitals™ designation. Jane Appleby, M.D., Trident Health System’s chief medical officer, said, "This is important to our patients and their families because it means, according to Healthgrades, Trident and YOUR HEART’S IN VERY GOOD HANDS NATIONALLY-RANKED HEART CARE AT TRIDENT MEDICAL CENTER Frank Cuoco, M.D. By Rod Whiting Clara Faye Fulton (center) celebreated with her sisters and members of Trident Medical Center's Cardiac Procedures Recovery Unit.
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